Chowing Down At The Movies Can Add Up To Thousands Of Calories

By Maggie ShaderFebruary 8, 2012

Like to snack at the movies? That tub of popcorn and large soda can amount to almost a full day’s calories, two days’ worth of fat and a cup of sugars.

Our cohorts at Consumer Reports tested the largest sizes available of popcorn (with and without butter-flavored sauce), cheese nachos, pretzel pieces with cheese, and Coke or Pepsi at three of the nation’s biggest movie-theater chains: AMC, National Amusements, and Regal.

Here are some of their findings, including some nutrition nightmares for the largest possible sizes of some classic movie theater snacks.

Now compare those scary nutrition facts to the recommended daily amounts for the following:
*Calories: 2,000
*Fat: 65 grams
*Sodium: Less than 2,300 milligrams
*Sugars: There’s no recommended amount, but the American Hearth Association suggests a limit of about 6 teaspoons daily fro women and 9 for men.

So it turns out that a large tub of buttered popcorn and a large Coke can supply all the calories you need to eat in a day.

For CR’s snack-by-snack summary and other helpful tips for how best to resist a snack attack at the movies see the full report here, and grab something to snack on while watching the video below.

Buttered popcorn at movie theaters tends to leave my mouth with an odd coating that, no matter what, I can’t seem to get rid of. No matter how much soda, or water, or listerine, it’s like a coating of grease that won’t go away.

That’s most likely the soybean oil, probably coconut depending on which brand they use. Coconut oil is the stuff they add to chocolate to make it harden up on ice cream (think dairy queen dip cones). I always had a similar feeling after eating one of those.

I will take time from my busy, at work schedule to assist with your inquiry :

The Devil Inside — After going splitsies on bottle of red with a cronie, this movie was 4 thumbs up(radiation is a terrible thing to waste). Best of it all it’s only an hour long(spoiler alert), so just when you thought this thing would drag on, BAM! It’s over, the crowd boo’s & move on with their lives!

First of all, if you want soda, but care about calories, get a diet soda. Sure, the chemicals and such aren’t good for you, but at least you don’t have calories.

Second, I don’t think I’ve ever finished a large popcorn. Mainly because half way down the popcorn is no longer hot, and often doesn’t taste all that good. All the butter flavor tends to be toward the top as well. So you can cut those calories roughly in half (or just buy a smaller popcorn). The largest size is good if you are spliting it with someone else, which again, cuts your calories in half.

So in theory you could have your hot buttered movie theater popcorn, and large refreshing (diet) soda, for under 500 calories. Not all that bad.

true. the one time i tried to finish a large buttered popcorn by myself i ended up vomiting the moment i got home.
so yes- a large is good for 2 or more people ONLY.

but i loove buttered popcorn and i get it every time i go to the movies (med popcorn and large soda!) Much like smokers who have to look at lung cancer ads- I don’t care if it’s bad for me- it makes me happy.

Need a really easy tip for how best to resist a snack attack at the movies? Bring money for tickets and no more, or leave your wallet in your car. Or how about not going to the movies hungry? Or think about what else that $30+ would buy you elsewhere. I’m also a firm believer in sneaking-food-in-ology, so there’s that.

I know the snacks are expensive because the theater makes very little money from ticket sales. But…if the snacks cost a little less, I bet many more people would buy them. Step 2. ??? Step 3. Profit. Until then, there’s a 7-11 conveniently a block from my theater.

Of course, if more people bought more snacks, we’d get more fat. It’s a no win.

I work at a theater, (independent chain, 42 screens total) and I’ve been pushing for lower concession prices, and make more money from more sales, plus more people coming to our theater for cheaper concessions. I have been repeatedly told by the higher-ups that I’m a moron and have no clue how the business works. (They also refuse to get Coke 0 because “people prefer Diet Coke, or just get regular Coke anyway”)

Throw in the calories in a flask of whiskey and you’re really getting a high calorie count. Good thing I burn off a lot of the calories engaging in fisticuffs with unruly texters, baby bringers, vagabonds, and whatnot.

First of all, to call popcorn in most theater chains “buttered” is just flat out dishonest. I know AMC and I think Regal all use “buttery flavoring,” which is just oil, often rancid tasting, and usually not very “buttery.”

Second, I don’t know about the listed chains, but at Cinemark (which still uses real butter, thank you very much), the “large” and the “medium” popcorn are actually the same volume. The only difference: you can get the “large” refilled.

Finally, without knowing the volume/weight of the popcorn and the ounces in the drinks, it’s hard to compare to the “real” world.

Well that would explain why the places and chairs are all in such terrible conditions and the staff is so rude. I don’t buy snacks! So I guess by your logic they just won’t get paid!

It’s simple economics, if the prices were more affordable more people would spend money on them. With ticket prices constantly rising and the addition of 3D in pretty much everything tacking on more expense to tickets. They’re not only driving people away from snacks but also from theaters period.

We used to always get snacks, but then the snacks kept rising faster than gas prices, but that was no big deal because the theater only cost $5. Now the price is $8-10, per ticket, the seats are all broken and uncomfortable and the snack prices are through the roof with smaller portions than ever before. We just don’t even go anymore, it’s too much money to spend.

You do realize that the theater doesn’t receive but pocket change from your admission cost, right? So by complaining about the state of the building and then NOT buying snacks, you’re making it worse.

They don’t set the ticket prices, studios do. Blame them. The only way the place turns a profit, can pay employees and keep the place from falling in around your ears is by selling snack food at ridiculous markup.

Consumer Reports knows their stuff when it comes to toasters and cars but when it comes to nutrition, they’re hopelessly lost.

They use the term “fat” as if there was only one kind of fat and it’s all bad, completely ignoring that buttered popcorn is an entirely different nutritional entity than nasty, soybean-based industrial oils that are nothing more than liquid omega-6 fatty acids.

The “sugar” column is blank for popcorn, as if there’s nothing related to sugar in popcorn. What do you think happens to the popcorn when you eat it? Buy a glucose meter and see. It has nothing to do with calories.

I know all of this and I still jones for popcorn at the movie.
Hell I worked in a movie theter when I was in high school and I still get popcorn at the movies.
Now nachos if the cheese doesn’t come in the tiny, indiviual cup? No way. My memory of the nasty cheese goop that came out of the heated pump behind the concession stand ruined that treat for me.

The calories are where the profits are for theater owners. Popcorn is a great snack at home as long as you avoid the microwave type with all the added grease and toxins. Be really frugal, make your own microwave popcorn. One brown paper lunch bag, no coatings, 1/4 cup of your favorite popcorn, 2 minutes in the microwave May vary per microwave. Pour into a bowl, lightly salt spray with butter spray or the real stuff. Cheap.

Save the popcorn for home movies and add up the savings. DO NOT use the microwave popcorn loaded with chemicals (got to keep the sacks from burning) and fake flavoring. One brown paper lunch bag, one quarter cup of your favorite popcorn, 2 minutes (more or less) in your microwave. Pour into a bowl salt lightly add butter or butter spray.

I always avoid the snack bar at the movies. If I get something to eat, I get thirsty and have to get something to drink. If I have to get something to drink, I have to pee. If I have to pee, I miss part of the movie. I only go to the movies when there is a movie that I really want to see and can’t wait. So if I really want to see a movie, I will do what I can to avoid missing any of the movie. So that adds even more motivation to avoid the snack bar.